2026’s newest Soulslike is Phyllosoma, which hails from Team Respect Guild, a “small indie team of four developers who love games.” Evidently inspired by Soulslikes such as Dark Souls, Lies of P, and Bloodborne, Phyllosoma’s incredibly short playtime is balanced by the fact that it is free to play on Steam.
Phyllosoma’s Steam store page details the kind of experience players are in for, but Soulslike veterans will already be well-versed with the general design layout. It may not be enough to fill everyone’s bellies, but depending on how much players adore Soulslikes and how eager they are for a new game to scratch that itch, it could certainly be enough to whet their appetite.
Phyllosoma is bare-bones, but endearingly so, as those bones are full of all the traits that make Soulslikes special. It’s essentially a bit longer than the tutorial level in a fully fleshed-out Soulslike game, and its experience is padded out via exploration.
Even as a short game, exploration is necessary in Phyllosoma. Healing items behave like Bloodborne’s blood vials, not Dark Souls’ Estus flasks, and are not replenished in the player’s inventory once they respawn after a death. Moreover, in what...
